Westcountry Housing Association

Creating accessible leaflets using Let's Sign and Write graphics

Westcountry Housing Association in Torquay, Devon, deals with housing issues in Devon and Cornwall, providing advice and support services to people looking for affordable housing in the area.

The Association wanted to ensure that the printed information they create was as accessible as possible to all of the people they help - including British Sign Language (BSL) users.

Many ‘born deaf’ sign language users do not develop English as a natural first language and frequently feel excluded from written information. In recognition of the barriers faced by many BSL users when faced with understanding written information, Westcountry Housing produced an inclusive leaflet which featured Let's Sign and Write graphics to help BSL users to understand the leaflet's written content.

The Let's Sign and Write graphics have been created to provide visual support for BSL users by each illustrating a BSL sign.

The eye-catching leaflet featured Let's Sign and Write graphics for key words within the content, assisting profoundly deaf BSL users in understanding the information within the leaflet.

Using the Let's Sign and Write graphics to support words in this way illustrates how deaf people's needs can be met when printed information is needed.

The project has been very successful, receiving positive feedback from both Deaf and hearing users, and Westcountry Housing will continue to use the graphics in this way in the future.

"The Let's Sign and Write graphics are a new tool to our company, but we feel that they will be very useful in making our service more accessible to the deaf community."

- Jennie Hack, Housing Link and Support Worker with the Deaf Community, SPLASH Floating Support